Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians Justification by Faith – The Position of Sonship as Believers Galatians 4:1-31

Part 2 of 3

These believers were “known of God” (v. 9), in that, He had chosen them and graciously acted to bring them to faith and salvation.  The sad thing is that these believers, who had been delivered from the terrible bondage to pagan gods, were now being influenced by false teachers to enslave them to weak and useless principles.  These elements were weak (unable to give power to rescue man from condemnation) and beggarly (impoverished and unable to provide the spiritual wealth that only Christ can give).  These elements that the Galatians were turning to consist in observing “days, months, times and years.”   These were Jewish celebrations established by the Law of Moses.  From verse 11, Paul feared that all his labor among the Galatians would be in vain if they (the Galatians) followed the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers.

1. Paul’s Discussion from Personal Testimony – Galatians 4:12-20

In verse 12, Paul appeals to the Galatians on the basis of his past experience with them.  He urged them, “Be as I am; for I am as ye are” (v. 12).  In fact, when Paul had preached the gospel in Galatia, he had done so while experiencing an “infirmity of the flesh” (v. 13).  However, the Galatians had welcomed him.  The Galatians had not yielded to the temptation to despise or reject Paul but had received him “as an angel of God” (v. 14).

The infirmity Paul referred to may have been a physical weakness such as malaria, a serious eye problem.  Whatever the problem, the Galatians were not put off by Paul’s appearance.  Paul reminded the Galatians in verse 15 that they loved him and rejoiced in the message he brought them so much that they would have plucked out their own eyes if they could have given them to Paul to help him.  The joy of salvation through faith in Christ had caused them to fully accept Paul and made them willing to do anything for him.  But that joy now was fading away, as false teaching was bringing them again into sorrowful bondage.

In verse 16, Paul said: “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”  The false teachers who were pushing their doctrines in Galatia had attacked Paul’s integrity.  The false teachers suggested that Paul was insincere and had not taught the truth.  However, Paul had spoken the truth to the Galatians in verse 17, but sadly, they were now listening to those who told them lies.  To “zealously affect” means “to eagerly desire or seek.”  The false teachers were eagerly seeking “to curry favor” with the Galatians, with a desire to deceive them.

In verse 18, Paul was quick to acknowledge that it is good to be eagerly sought out for a good purpose.  Paul had sought the best interests of the Galatians by preaching the gospel.  He wished only that their loyalty to the gospel of grace had continued when he was no longer in their presence.  In verse 19, Paul addresses the Galatians as his “little children.”  Paul was their spiritual father, but Paul adopted maternal language in saying he had experienced the pains of their birth into God’s family as he preached the gospel.  Paul also experienced pain in seeing them falter in their faith and turn from the truth.  That pain would continue as he sought to correct them and until Christ was “formed” in them.  Paul experienced his desire to be present with the Galatian Christians again.  He acknowledged his doubts about them, for he did not know how much of the Judaizing heresy they really had embraced.

III. Discussion from an Allegory – Galatians 4:21-31

Beginning in verse 21, Paul instructed the Galatians to “Listen to the Law.”  The Galatians had not even heard the Law.”  The giving of the Law was not a beautiful sight to experience, but a terrifying one (Exodus 19;16-21; 20:18-19).  The Galatians wanted to be under the Law, so Paul was going to let them hear it.